Why can’t I just get a job selling mattresses?

So here I am, totally exhausted on Tuesday nights after working a full day at my job and then taking my evening class (for my School Social Work Credential). This past Tuesday, I was driving home after the class at about 9:50pm with a monster headache that started at 1pm that day after a 2.5 hour Union Meeting.

Off the side of the freeway there is a mattress store. As I’m driving home, one hand on the wheel, one hand on my head, I think to myself, “Self, what are you doing?” Is it all worth it? The FT job, the class at night, missing my kids, etc.

I pass by the mattress store and think, how hard could that job be? I mean really, nobody’s life is at stake, angry parents aren’t clogging up your voice-mail with their messages that they need you to call them back AT THAT INSTANT, co-workers who haven’t got a clue wouldn’t be bugging you for information, supervisors wouldn’t have much to complain about, you’d do your job and then go home – ON-TIME --- so then it hit me. Why can’t I just have a job like that??? Huh?? Is that asking too much?

Okay, seriously, then about 2 miles down the freeway I come to my senses. NO, I didn’t go to graduate school and get my Master’s Degree in Social Work to sell mattresses. I haven’t worked my butt off for the past 12+ years in the public sector to sell you a mattress making a fifth of what I make now (plus excellent benefits). I know I’m a capable social worker, and hopefully after this class is done (this December) I’ll have a credential that will open more doors for me – and hopefully will lead to even bigger and better things. That will give me more options to teach my children that yeah, if you work hard, you can make it too.

So, if you DO sell mattresses and you’re reading this – I salute you. Your job sounds like a fine way to spend the day, and maybe you do deal with lots of crap and “tired” (no pun intended) customers, but after considering it, I think I’ll stick with my current job – at least for now…